National Seminar
January 29 – 30, 2009

Centre for Media and Cultural Studies
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai

29th January, 2009

10:00 A.M.    -    Inaugural Address by Ms. Sushma Singh, Secretary Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India
10:15 A.M.    -    Prof. S. Parasuraman, Director, TISS
10:30 A.M.    -    Keynote Address by Prof. Aijaz Ahmed
11:30 A.M.    –     Tea Break
11:45 A.M.    –     Panel Discussion on “Contested Media Realities : Unpacking the Real” – The mediated news.
Panelists :  Padmashree Sucheta Dalal, Dr. Prof. B. P. Sanjay, Mr. Sashi Kumar, Ms. Meena Menon, Ms. Jyoti Puniani, Ms. Pratima Joshi, Ms. Radhika Bordia
01:15 P.M.    -    Lunch
02:15 P.M.     -    Screening of Documentary of XXWhy, directed by B. Manjula
Discussants : Mr. Sree Nandu, Ms. Kalki and Dr. Shoba Ghosh
04:00 P.M.     -    Tea Break
04:15 P.M.     -    CMCS Students’ Presentation
06:30 P.M. onwards    –     Hindi Play “Girija Ke Sapne” directed by Mr. M. S. Satyu, produced by Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA)

30th January, 2009

10:00 A.M.     -    Panel Discussion on “Contested Media Realities: Unpacking the Real” – The mediated cinema.
Panelists : Prof. Moinak Biswas,  Mr. Om Puri,  Ms. Revathy, Mr. Anurag Kashyap, Mr. Sriram Raghavan
11:30 A.M.     –     Tea Break
11:45 A.M.    –     Panel Discussion on “Contested Media Realities: Unpacking the Real” – The mediated documentary.
Panelists : Prof. Shiv Vishwanath, Mr. Amar Kanwar, Mr. Stalin K. and Mr. Ajay T.G.
1:15 P.M.    -    Lunch Break
2:15 P.M.    -    Paper Presentation by Students
4:00 P.M.     -    Vote of Thanks

Photo Exhibition by the Thane Press Club on 26/11

FRAMES OF REFERENCE

Unpacking The Real: Contesting Media Realities
The first seminar of Centre for Media and Cultural Studies (CMCS)
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
January 29-30, 2009

Distinctions between the real and the imagined are often understood in black and white. This seminar seeks to unsettle such simplistic binaries. It will critically examine the media’s representations of ‘reality’ and raise questions about its frames of reference. Does the media, fictional or non-fictional, propagate certain ideas about truth, the real and the world? The seminar will unpack representations of reality in news, documentary and fiction films.

Speakers will include eminent professionals from the media industry and academics working the area of Media and Cultural Studies.  Students from around the country will also present papers and research work.

The best student presentation will be awarded a cash prize.

Guidelines

Paper presentations must be made on the theme of ‘reality’ as mediated in news, documentary and fiction films.

The paper must be submitted along with the seminar application form. The word limit is 3000 words. The last date for submission is 15.01.2009. The application should be sent to:

Centre for Media and Cultural Studies
Tata Institute of Social Sciences
V.N Purav Marg
Deonar, Mumbai 400088
Tel. No. 022 – 25525000

A nominal delegate fee of Rs. 200 will be charged.

About CMCS

The Centre for Media and Cultural Studies, (CMCS) is an independent centre of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, engaged in media teaching, production, research and dissemination. In 2007, it offered, for the first time, a two-year Master’s in Media and Cultural Studies. This seminar has been organised by the post-graduate students of the Centre.

A unique feature of the Centre is the close linkage between the technical and academic areas of its work. The work of the Centre straddles both realms, thus facilitating a synergy between research, teaching and production, all of which are informed by a keen sense of connection with local subaltern cultures of resistance and invention. The CMCS has done pioneering work in critical media education in the country.  It also has to its credit, twenty-one awards at national and international festivals.